Senator: Counties Should Be Prepared for Gun Info Requests

New York State Senator Greg Ball says Gannett Company's Westchester-based newspaper was wrong to put detailed information about handgun owners on its website.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, the Putnam County Republican warned officials in other New York counties to be prepared for similar requests to provide gun ownership records.

Westchester and Rockland counties released detailed information to The Journal News, which posted names and addresses online December 22.

Ball said he believes Putnam County officials are within their rights to decline the newspaper's request for similar records.

Ball said current and retired police officers, past crime victims and others who legally possess guns have been placed at risk because their names and addresses now are more easily available.

The senator said other counties "should get ready for this" and be ready for requests for their gun permit information.

Ball said officials elsewhere in the state should use Putnam County's response as an example "if you have some bone-headed editorial board that decides they want to sell newspapers and create controversy."

Ball said he doesn't know whether other Gannett properties in New York state are planning to seek gun permit records in their areas.

Gannett Company owns the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, which is printed at its Central New York Production Facility in Johnson City. That site prints other Gannett newspapers and several publications not owned by the company.

Gannett also owns the Star-Gazette of Elmira, The Ithaca Journal, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle and WGRZ-TV in Buffalo.